174 SCORP.ENID.E. 



slightly convex lunules or arches at the base of the caudal fin. The scales are rough 

 or ciliate. and larger than in the Requeime, but smaller than in the Carneiro ; and 

 in their disposition resembling the former. The spiny portions both of the dorsal 

 and the anal fins are naked ; but the hinder soft-rayed parts of both are scaly at 

 the base between the rays : the former for one third, the latter for one fourth 

 of its height. The pectoral fin has also a rather high and convex arch of scales 

 covering its base. 



I have been imable to discover any trace of lacinise on any part of either the 

 head or body. Each spine, however, of the dorsal fin is tipped with a short 

 filament. 



The lateral line is nearly straight, as in the Requeime ; and consists of twenty- 

 nine or thirty scales, each marked, as in that fish, with a little spine-like point 

 directed towards the tail. The first two or three of these points are strong and 

 pungent, resembling the scapulary spine, from which they commence. The hinder 

 scales appear composed of a small one, free behind, fixed upon a larger by its ante- 

 rior edge or portion. 



The general tint of this fish is usually a paler scarlet than in its allies ; the 

 ground being a pale flesh-colour. On this are disposed five darker or brighter 

 scarlet irregular broad bands, often mottled or suffused with dusky, running down 

 the sides from the dorsal ridge, and disappearing on their middle. The first and 

 smallest of these is at the origin, the fourth at the end of the dorsal fin ; and 

 the fifth at the root of the caudal. All the fins are scarlet and without any spots 

 or bars : but the spiny part of the dorsal fin is mottled, the points of its spines 

 and filaments are tipped, and its soft part, like the front of the ventral and anal 

 fins, is edged with white. The head is bright scarlet ; the opercle clouded by 

 a suffused large patch of leaden or pale violet-black, caused by the shining through 

 of the lining of the gill-opening, which is deep mulberry-black. The back part 

 of the mouth or palate, as of the tongue, together with the gullet, is of a more 

 or less deep lead-colour, approaching to black ; the front of the mouth and tongue 

 being pale or whitish. The iris is golden or topaz, shaded with brown ; and 

 the pupil has a violet or bluish opaline, not brassy, lustre. 



In several examples from twelve to fourteen inches long, captured in August, the 

 colour, whilst the fish was yet alive, was of the most brilliant scarlet imaginable, 

 with the bands deeper, but pure intense scarlet. The eye was singularly beau- 

 tiful. The anal fin was broadly edged in front with white. 



On opening the abdomen, the whole peritoneum, like the lining of the branchial 

 and thoracic cavities, is found to be of the same intense shining inky or mulbeny- 

 black. There is no air-bladder. The liver is large and pale. There are from 

 five to seven cseca : Laroche found six ; MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes five in 

 their example ; I have generally observed six or seven of moderate size and length. 

 They are in general loaded and coadnate with fat. 



The whole number of vertebra; is assuredly only twenty-five,* including that, 

 as usual, from which originates the caudal bony fan. Of the ten abdominal 

 vertebra;, the first is neither ossified nor bent at an angle with the skull, as in 

 the Sebastes KuJdii ; but is articulated to it in a straight line by a flexible soft 

 cartilage as usual, and differs not in length from the next vertebra; : the five 

 last are furnished with broad and strong apophyses beneath, of wliich the three 

 last pair unite into a single strong bone, forked or notched only at the tip, and 



* In one or two instances the vertebrae were 10 alnl. -|- 14 caud. = 24 ; the deficiency being 

 in the caudal vertebra! : but twenty-five is tlie number in tlie great majority. However thus, in 

 any case, tiiis fish has one abdominal vertebra more than either the Ueiiueime or Uocaz ; and nor- 

 midli) one more on tiie ivholc. 



